STRENGTHENING STUDENT CHARACTER THROUGH INTERNALIZATION OF CHARACTER VALUES BASED ON CONTEXTUAL ASSISTANCE

Abstract

Character education is an important component of education because students need not only academic competence but also the ability to demonstrate positive values in their daily lives. This community service program addressed the need to strengthen students’ understanding and awareness of character values at MTsN 5 Cluring Banyuwangi. The program involved 25 students representing grades VII and VIII and the Student Intra-School Organization (OSIM). The intervention was implemented through a character education seminar using a contextual mentoring approach that connected character values with situations encountered by students in their daily lives. The activities consisted of an initial assessment (pretest), interactive seminar, contextual case discussion, question-and-answer session, reflection, and final assessment (posttest). The results showed an increase in the students’ mean scores from 67.80 in the pretest to 84.20 in the posttest, with a 16.40-point increase and a normalized gain of 0.509, categorized as moderate. Observations also indicated positive student enthusiasm and active participation during the activity. These findings indicate that contextual mentoring can serve as an effective initial strategy for strengthening students’ understanding and awareness of character values. Further programs should emphasize continuous habituation, exemplary behavior, and school-based character development to achieve sustainable behavioral change.